Vehicle passive occupant restraining belt arrangement

ABSTRACT

A vehicle passive occupant restraining belt arrangement includes a generally flexible cable with one end attached to the vehicle body generally adjacent the lower end of a windshield pillar laterally of the hinge axis of the adjacent door, a door mounted guide receiving the other end of the cable which extends to within the door for attachment to one end of a helical spring whose other end is fixed to the door, an apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portion of the cable and connected to lap and shoulder belt portions of a first belt, and a second belt with one end fixedly attached to the apertured member and the other end received by a belt retractor mounted on the door adjacent the other end of the cable. During door opening movement, the cable is moved to a generally outwardly extending orientation and due to the lateral positioning of the one end with respect to the door hinge axis, the effective length of the cable is increased to tension the spring. As the spring and cable are thus tensioned, the retractor extends the second belt while the apertured member slides forwardly along the cable to move the lap and shoulder belt portions to easy-enter positions. During door closing movement, the retractor retracts the second belt and the apertured member slides rearwardly along the cable to move the lap and shoulder belt portions to occupant restraining positions while the cable slackens and moves to a generally longitudinally extending orientation adjacent the lower door edge and generally out of sight. In another embodiment, the one end of the cable slides through a guide mounted on the vehicle body adjacent the lower end of the windshield pillar and is attached to the forward edge of the door laterally of the hinge axis. In this embodiment, the effective change in length of the cable during door movement is increased by the corresponding change in distance between the guide and the end of the cable attached to the forward door edge. When the door is moved to closed position, a resilient member pulls the cable back through the guide and the cable assumes a slackened condition adjacent the vehicle body floor and generally out of sight.

United States Patent 15 3,700,258 Wize 51 Oct. 24, 1972 [54] VEHICLEPASSIVE ()CCUPANT spring whose other end is fixed to the door, an aper-RESTRAINING BELT ARRANGEMENT [72] Inventor: Gary A. Wize, Washington,Mich.

[73] Assignee: General Motors Corporation,

Detroit, Mich.

[22] Filed: June 25, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 156,892

[52] US. Cl. ..280/ 150 SB [51] Int. Cl ..B60r 21/10 [58] Field ofSearch ..280/ 150 SB; 297/388 [56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 3,583,726 6/1971 Lindblad ..280/l50 SB 3,506,083 1970 Bontick..280/ 150 SB 3,4l 1,602 11/1968 Royce ..280/l50 SB 2,937,882 5/1960Oppenheim ..280/l50 SB Primary Examiner-Benjamin Hersh AssistantExaminer--Robert R. Song AttorneyW. E. Finken et a1.

[5 7] ABSTRACT A vehicle passive occupant restraining belt arrangementincludes a generally flexible cable with one end attached to the vehiclebody generally adjacent the lower end of a windshield pillar laterallyof the hinge axis of the adjacent door, a door mounted guide receivingthe other end of the cable which extends to within the door forattachment to one end of a helical tured member slidably receiving anintermediate portion of the cable and connected to lap and shoulder beltportions of a first belt, and a second belt with one end fixedlyattached to the apertured member and the other end received by a beltretractor mounted on the door adjacent the other end of the cable.During door opening movement, the cable is moved to a generallyoutwardly extending orientation and due to the lateral positioning ofthe one end with. respect to the door hinge axis, the effective lengthof the cable is increased to tension the spring. As the spring and cableare thus tensioned, the retractor extends the second belt while theapertured member slides forwardly along the cable to move the lap andshoulder belt portions to easy-enter positions. During door closingmovement, the retractor retracts the second belt and the aperturedmember slides rearwardly along the cable to move the lap and shoulderbelt portions to occupant restraining positions while the cable slackensand moves to a generally longitudinally extending orientation adjacentthe lower door edge and generally out of sight. In another embodiment,the one end of the cable slides through a guide mounted on the vehiclebody adjacent the lower end of the windshield pillar and is attached tothe forward edge of the door laterally of the hinge axis. In thisembodiment, the effective change in length of the cable during doormovement is increased by the corresponding change in distance betweenthe guide and the end of the cable attached to the forward door edge.When the door is moved to closed position, a resilient member pulls thecable back through the guide and the cable assumes a slackened conditionadjacent the vehicle body floor and generally out of sight.

3 Drawing Figures VEHICLE PASSIVE OCCUPANT RESTRAINING BELT ARRANGEMENTThis invention relates to a vehicle passive occupant restraining beltarrangement.

It is known to provide a vehicle passive occupant restraining beltarrangement in which a carrier is slidably mounted on a vehicle bodydoor and moved between forward and rearward positions in response todoor movement to move an attached belt between easy-enter and occupantrestraining positions without any deliberate effort on the part of theoccupant. US. Pat. application Ser. No. 174,664 Weststrate, filed onAug. 25, 1971, a continuation in part of Application Serial No. 118,607filed on Feb. 25, 1971, now abandoned, both assigned to the assignee ofthe present invention, discloses a vehicle passive occupant restrainingbelt arrangement in which a vehicle body mounted retractor receives acable connected to shoulder and lap belt portions and selectivelyretracts and extends the cable in response to door movement to move thebelt portions between easy-enter and occupant restraining positions. US.Pat. application Ser. No. 1 18,604, filed on Feb. 25, 1971 and alsoassigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses a somewhatsimilar belt arrangement in which a door mounted retractor receives abelt connected to shoulder and lap belt portions and retracts andextends the belt in response to door movement to move the belt portionsbetween easy-enter and occupant restraining positions.

This invention provides an improved vehicle passive occupant restrainingbelt arrangement in which a generally flexible elongated member extendsbetween the vehicle body and a door and slidably guides an aperturedmember attached to lap and shoulder belt portions to move the beltportions between easy-enter and occupant restraining positions inresponse to door movement. i

In one preferred embodiment, the elongated member is a cable with oneend fixedly attached to the vehicle body generally adjacent the lowerend of a windshield pillar laterally of the hinge axis of the adjacentdoor. An intermediate portion of the cable slidably receives anapertured member to which is attached lap and shoulder belt portions ofa first belt. The apertured member also attaches one end of a secondbelt whose other end is received by a door mounted retractor. The otherend of the cable is slidably received by a door mounted guide adjacentthe retractor and extends within the door for attachment to one end of ahelical spring, the other end of which is fixed to the door. During dooropening movement, the cable is moved to a generally outwardly extendingorientation and due to the lateral positioning of the one end withrespect to the door hinge'axis, the effective length of the cable isincreased to tension the spring. As the spring and cable are thustensioned, the retractor extends the second belt while the aperturedmember slides forwardly along the cable to move the lap and shoulderbelt portions to easy-enter positions. During door closing movement, theretractor retracts the second belt, sliding the apertured memberrearwardly along the cable to move the lap and shoulder belt portions tooccupant restraining positions, while the cable slackens and moves to agenerally longitudinally extending orientation adjacent the lower dooredge and generally out of sight.

In another preferred embodiment, the one end of the cable slides througha guide mounted on the body adjacent the lower end of the windshieldpillar and is attached to the forward edge of the door laterally of thehinge axis. In this embodiment, the effective change in length of thecable during door movement is increased by the corresponding change indistance between the attached end of the cable and the guide. When thedoor is moved to closed position, a resilient member pulls the cableback through the guide and the cable assumes a slackened conditionadjacent the vehicle body floor and out of sight.

Accordingly, one of the features of this invention is that it provides avehicle passive occupant restraining belt arrangement in which agenerally flexible elongated member extends between the vehicle body anda door and slidably guides an apertured member attached to lap andshoulder belt portions to move the belt portions between easy-enter andoccupant restraining positions as the elongated member moves betweenoutwardly and longitudinally extending orientations in response to doormovement. Another feature of this invention is that one end of theelongated member may be attached to the vehicle body laterally of thedoor hinge axis, with the effective length of the elongated memberincreasing during door opening movement to tension the elongated memberas the apertured member slides forwardly and moves the belt portions tothe easy-enter positions, and with the elongated member slackeningduring door closing movement and moving to an out of sight positionadjacent the lower edge of the door as the apertured member slidesrearwardly and moves the belt portions to the restraining positions.Still another feature of this invention is that the one end of theelongated member may slide through a body mounted guide and attach tothe door laterally of the door hinge axis, thus increasing the change inthe effective length of the elongated member during door movement andallowing the elongated member to assume a slackened out. of sightposition adjacent the vehicle body floor when the door is closed.

These features and other features of this invention will be readilyapparent from the following detailed description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a partially broken away perspective view of a portion of avehicle body with the door shown in open position and a passive occupantrestraining belt arrangement, according to this invention,shown in aneasy-enter position;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the beltarrangement taken generally along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and showing theapertured member which slides along the cable extending between thevehicle body and the door; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of an alternate embodiment.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, a vehiclebody is generally indicated at 10 and includes a roof 12, a fioor 14,and a front windshield 16 that cooperate to define an occupantcompartment 18. A conventional steering wheel 20 is mounted within theoccupant compartment 18 rearwardly of an instrument panel 22 andforwardly of a conventionally mounted seat 24. Seat 24 is accessiblethrough a vehicle body side door opening 26 selectively opened andclosed by a door 28 that swings about a generally vertical axis Alocated laterally outboard of a windshield pillar 30 at the lateral edgeof windshield 16. The door 28 supports a window regulator handle 32 forconventionally raising and lowering a side door window 34 and alsosupports an inside remote release handle 36 for unlatching aconventional door lock assembly, not shown, mounted adjacent the rearedge of door 28.

A passive occupant restraining belt arrangement 38, according to thisinvention, is mounted within occupant compart-ment 18 and includes afirst belt 40 whose ends are respectively secured to the roof l2 andfloor 14 by attachments 42 and 44 adjacent upper and lower rearwardinboard portions of seat 24. As can be seen by additionally referring toFIG. 2, a somewhat L- shaped member 46 of the belt arrangement includesapertures 48 and 50 slidably receiving intermediate portions of belt 40to define lap and shoulder belt portions 52 and 54, with the lap beltportion 52 being positioned adjacent attachment 44 by a seat mountedapertured guide 55. A second belt 56 has a looped end received withinaperture 48 and an end received by a belt retractor 58 mounted adjacenta lower rearward portion of the door 28.

Belt retractor 58 may be an inertia retractor which normally retractsbelt 56 and allows extending movement of the belt only below apredetermined rate. It is also possible for belt retractor 58 to be alocking retractor in which the retractor free-wheels when either therelease handle 36 is actuated or the door lock assembly is in unlatchedposition, in a manner similar to that disclosed in application Ser. No.144,470 Augunas et al, filed May 18, 1971, assigned to the assignee ofthe present invention.

Member 46 also includes an integral laterally extending tongue portion60 having an aperture 62 that slidably receives an intermediate portionof a cable 64. One end of cable 64 is attached to the vehicle bodyadjacent the lower end of pillar 30 by a nut and bolt arrangement 66.Theother end of cable 64 is slidably received by a generally U-shapedguide 68 mounted on door 28 adjacent belt retractor 58. From guide 68,cable 64 extends within the door for attachment to one end of anelongated helical spring 70 whose other end is secured to the door by anattachment 72. Swinging axis A and nut and bolt arrangement 66 arelocated at substantially the same longitudinal positions relative to thelongitudinal axis of vehicle body 10. However, arrangement 66 is locatedlaterally inboard of axis A and as such during door opening movement,the effective length of cable 64 between arrangement 66 and guide 68 isincreased, stretching spring 70 and tensioning cable 64. During doorclosing movement, the efiective length of the cable is converselydecreased and the cable 64 assumes a slackened hanging positionextending generally longitudinally of vehicle body 10 adjacent the lowerdoor edge and generally out of sight from within occupant compartment18.

As the door 28 is opened, cable 64 moves toward the FIG. 1 outwardlyextending orientation and member 46 slides along the cable in agenerally upward and forward moving direction to the position shownadjacent nut and bolt arrangement 66. With member 46 moved to thisposition, the lap and shoulder belt portions 52 and 54 are automaticallypositioned in easy-enter positions without any deliberate occupanteffort, allowing the occupant convenient access to the vehicle seat 24.When a seated occupant begins to move the door 28 toward closedposition, the retractor 58 will begin to retract belt 56 and member 46begins to slide rearwardly along cable 64. As the door 28 approachesclosed position, member 46 approaches a lower rearward positionsubstantially adjacent the belt retractor 58. As member 46 approachesthis position, the lap and shoulder belt portions 52 and 54 move towardoccupant restraining positions with respect to the seated occupant andthe cable 64 moves toward the slackened position previously described.Door opening movement reverses the operation and moves the beltarrangement 38 to the FIG. 1 easy-enter position allowing the occupantconvenient egression from the vehicle body 10 through the door opening26.

FIG. 3 discloses another embodiment in which the one end of cable 64slides through a generally curved tubular guide 74 whose opposite endsare secured to the vehicle body adjacent the lower end of pillar 30 bywelds 76 and 78. The one end of cable 64 terminates in an adapter 80having oppositely extending pin portions 82, only one of which is shown.A pair of spaced opposed upstanding flanges 84 of a pair of bracketmembers 86, only one shown, are apertured at 88 to pivotally receive therespective pin portions 82 of adaptor 80. Nut and bolt arrangements 90secure the bracket members 86 to the forward edge of door 28 laterallyinboard of the door hinge axis A. When the door is moved between theopen position shown and the closed position counterclockwise thereof,the adaptor 80 pivots with respect to the bracket members 86 as thelength of cable between the end of guide 74 adjacent welds 76 and thebracket members is decreased and increased. As this cable lengthdecreases during door closing movement, an elastic member 92, whose endsare respectively secured to a cable adapter 94 and the vehicle bodyfloor, pulls the cable 64 back through the guide 74. When the door 28 ismoved to closed position, this embodiment thus allows an increasedslackening of cable 64 from that of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2,while maintaining a tensioned cable when the door is moved toward openposition to allow smooth sliding movement of member 46 along the cable.

The invention thus provides an improved vehicle passive occupantrestraining belt arrangement.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a vehicle body defining an occupant compartment,a seat mounted within the occupant compartment and accessible through aside door opening, and a side door whose forward edge is pivoted to thevehicle body to mount the door for movement between open and closedpositions with respect to the door opening, a passive occupantrestraining belt arrangement comprising, a first belt having the endsthereof respectively fixed adjacent inboard upper and lower portions ofthe seat, an apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portionof the first belt to define lap and shoulder belt portions, a secondbelt having one end attached to the apertured member, a selectivelylockable belt retractor mounted on a lower rearward portion of the doorto receive and normally retract the other end of the second belt, and agenerally flexible elongated member extending between an upper forwardposition on the body generally adjacent the forward edge of the door anda lower rearward position on the door generally adjacent the retractor,the apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portion of theelongated member, the

- elongated membermoving to an outwardly extending orientation duringdoor opening movement and the apertured member sliding forwardly alongthe elongated member to an upper forward position as the retractorextends the second belt and the lap and shoulder belt portions move toeasy-enter positions, the elongated member moving to a longitudinallyextending orientation and the retractor retracting the second beltduring door closing movement to slide the apertured member rearwardlyalong the elongated member to a lower rearward position and move the lapand shoulder belt portions to occupant restraining positions withrespect to a seated occupant.

2. In combination with a vehicle body defining an occupant compartment,a seat mounted within the compartment and accessible through a side dooropening, and a side door whose forward edge is pivoted to the vehiclebody to mount the door for movement between open and closed positionswith respect to the door opening, a passive occupant restraining beltarrangement comprising, a first belt having the ends thereofrespectively fixed adjacent inboard upper and lower portions of theseat, an apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portion ofthe first belt to define lap and shoulder belt portions, a second belthaving one end attached to the apertured member, a selectively lockablebelt retractor mounted on a lower rearward portion of the door toreceive and normally retract the other end of the second belt, agenerally flexible elongated member having one end fixed at an upperforward position on the body generally adjacent the forward edge of thedoor and laterally spaced with respect to the axis of swinging movementof the door, and means for adjustably securing the other end of theelongated member to the door'generally adjacent to the retractor tosupport the elongated member for movement between a slackened generallylongitudinally extending orientation when the door is in closed positionand a tensioned generally outwardly extending orientation when the dooris in open position, the apertured member slidably receiving anintermediate portion of the elongated member and sliding forwardlytherealong during door opening movement to an upper forward position asthe retractor extends the second belt and the lap and shoulder beltportions move to easy-enter positions, the retractor retracting thesecond belt and the apertured member sliding rearwardly along theelongated member to a lower rearward position during door closingmovement to move the lap and shoulder belt portions to occupantrestraining positions with respect to a seated occupant.

3. In combination with a vehicle body defining an occupant compartment,a seat mounted within the compartment and accessible through a side dooropening, and a side door whose forward edge is pivoted to the vehiclebody to mount the door for movement between open and closed positionswith respect to the door opening, a passive occupant restraining beltarrangement com rising a first belt having the ends thereof respective yfixed adjacent mboar upper and lower portionsof the seat, an aperturedmember slidably receiving an intermediate portion of the first belt todefine lap and shoulder belt portions, a second belt having one endattached to the apertured member, a selectively lockable belt retractormounted on a lower rearward portion of the door to receive and normallyretract the other end of the second belt, a generally flexible elongatedmember having one end slidably mounted on the body generally adjacentthe forward edge of the door laterally spaced with respectto the axis ofswinging movement of the door, means securing the one end of the cableto a portion of the door laterally spaced with respect to the axis ofswinging movement of the door, and resilient means securing the otherend of the elongated member to the door generally adjacent to theretractor, the elongated member moving between a generally slackenedlongitudinally extending orientation when the door is in closed positionand a tensioned generally outwardly extending orientation when the dooris in open position, the apertured member slidably receiving anintermediate portion of the elongated member generally between the bodyand the retractor to mount the apertured member for forward slidingmovement to an upper forward position during door opening movement asthe retractor extends the second belt and the lap and shoulder beltportions move to easy-enter positions, the retractor retracting thesecond belt during door closing movement and sliding the aperturedmember rearwardly along the elongated member to a lower rear-

1. In combination with a vehicle body defining an occupant compartment,a seat mounted within the occupant compartment and accessible through aside door opening, and a side door whose forward edge is pivoted to thevehicle body to mount the door for movement between open and closedpositions with respect to the door opening, a passive occupantrestraining belt arrangement comprising, a first belt having the endsthereof respectively fixed adjacent inboard upper and lower portions ofthe seat, an apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portionof the first belt to define lap and shoulder belt portions, a secondbelt having one end attached to the apertured member, a selectivelylockable belt retractor mounted on a lower rearward portion of The doorto receive and normally retract the other end of the second belt, and agenerally flexible elongated member extending between an upper forwardposition on the body generally adjacent the forward edge of the door anda lower rearward position on the door generally adjacent the retractor,the apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portion of theelongated member, the elongated member moving to an outwardly extendingorientation during door opening movement and the apertured membersliding forwardly along the elongated member to an upper forwardposition as the retractor extends the second belt and the lap andshoulder belt portions move to easy-enter positions, the elongatedmember moving to a longitudinally extending orientation and theretractor retracting the second belt during door closing movement toslide the apertured member rearwardly along the elongated member to alower rearward position and move the lap and shoulder belt portions tooccupant restraining positions with respect to a seated occupant.
 2. Incombination with a vehicle body defining an occupant compartment, a seatmounted within the compartment and accessible through a side dooropening, and a side door whose forward edge is pivoted to the vehiclebody to mount the door for movement between open and closed positionswith respect to the door opening, a passive occupant restraining beltarrangement comprising, a first belt having the ends thereofrespectively fixed adjacent inboard upper and lower portions of theseat, an apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portion ofthe first belt to define lap and shoulder belt portions, a second belthaving one end attached to the apertured member, a selectively lockablebelt retractor mounted on a lower rearward portion of the door toreceive and normally retract the other end of the second belt, agenerally flexible elongated member having one end fixed at an upperforward position on the body generally adjacent the forward edge of thedoor and laterally spaced with respect to the axis of swinging movementof the door, and means for adjustably securing the other end of theelongated member to the door generally adjacent to the retractor tosupport the elongated member for movement between a slackened generallylongitudinally extending orientation when the door is in closed positionand a tensioned generally outwardly extending orientation when the dooris in open position, the apertured member slidably receiving anintermediate portion of the elongated member and sliding forwardlytherealong during door opening movement to an upper forward position asthe retractor extends the second belt and the lap and shoulder beltportions move to easy-enter positions, the retractor retracting thesecond belt and the apertured member sliding rearwardly along theelongated member to a lower rearward position during door closingmovement to move the lap and shoulder belt portions to occupantrestraining positions with respect to a seated occupant.
 3. Incombination with a vehicle body defining an occupant compartment, a seatmounted within the compartment and accessible through a side dooropening, and a side door whose forward edge is pivoted to the vehiclebody to mount the door for movement between open and closed positionswith respect to the door opening, a passive occupant restraining beltarrangement comprising, a first belt having the ends thereofrespectively fixed adjacent inboard upper and lower portions of theseat, an apertured member slidably receiving an intermediate portion ofthe first belt to define lap and shoulder belt portions, a second belthaving one end attached to the apertured member, a selectively lockablebelt retractor mounted on a lower rearward portion of the door toreceive and normally retract the other end of the second belt, agenerally flexible elongated member having one end slidably mounted onthe body generally adjacent the forward edge of the door laterallyspaced with respect to the axis of swinging movement of the door, meanssecuring the one end of the cable to a portion of the door laterallyspaced with respect to the axis of swinging movement of the door, andresilient means securing the other end of the elongated member to thedoor generally adjacent to the retractor, the elongated member movingbetween a generally slackened longitudinally extending orientation whenthe door is in closed position and a tensioned generally outwardlyextending orientation when the door is in open position, the aperturedmember slidably receiving an intermediate portion of the elongatedmember generally between the body and the retractor to mount theapertured member for forward sliding movement to an upper forwardposition during door opening movement as the retractor extends thesecond belt and the lap and shoulder belt portions move to easy-enterpositions, the retractor retracting the second belt during door closingmovement and sliding the apertured member rearwardly along the elongatedmember to a lower rearward position to move the lap and shoulder beltportions to occupant restraining positions with respect to a seatedoccupant.